Mulgrave Settler Museum’s new exhibition: “Beetles, Grubs and other Bugs”

Yesterday, Mulgrave Settlers Museum in Gordonvale opened a new exhibition called ‘Beetles, Grubs and other Bugs’. Developed to commemorate the 100th year of sugar research at nearby Meringa Research Station (part of the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations) and highlight the importance of cane to the region’s identity, it featured the work of the station’s entomologists as they battled to help cane farmers overcome pests and diseases in the early 20th century.

Central to the exhibition are the display cases created by Edmund Jarvis between 1922 and 1932. A science communicator pioneer, Jarvis created educational cases to help farmers better understand and manage issues affecting their crops. He crafted the displays using specimens, hand drawn diagrams, typed labels and early black and white images and held information days at the station.

You might recall an earlier post from May 2015 outlining details of the cases at the time I was approached by staff at Meringa seeking advice on preservation and storage. Since then I contacted the Mulgrave Settlers Museum about acquiring the cases – there is a strong link between Gordonvale and Meringa, with the first research station being located on Thumm Street just near the present day museum. Thanks to a Regional Arts Development Grant (RADF) from Cairns Regional Council, the cases have also undergone conservation treatment and made ready for this new exhibition. Thanks to conservator Sue Valis at MTQ for her meticulous cleaning and attention to detail.

The RADF grant allowed the museum to purchase a large format scanner to digitise hundreds of images and glass plate negatives that were also part of the donation. These images also feature in the new exhibition, as do a number of other significant artefacts including a lantern used in breeding programs, injectors and sugar refractors (which help to measure sugar content in cane) as well as a microscope belonging to James Buzzacott (on loan from the Australian Industry Sugar Museum in Mourilyan).

Meringa staff at the open. Image: Jo Wills

New display at Mulgrave Settlers Museum. Image: Jo Wills

Jeff Smith from Meringa Research Station enjoying the display of the Jarvis cases. Image: Jo Wills

Close up of Jarvis’ cases. Image: Sue Valis

Reports and documents sourced from the Bureau of Sugar Experimentation Stations head office. Image: Jo Wills

New display at Mulgrave Settlers Museum. Image: Jo Wills

James Buzzacott’s microscope which was kindly loaned to the exhibition by the Australian Sugar Industry Museum in Mourilyan. Image: Jo Wills.

The breeding lantern – not to be mistaken for a shower curtain or changing room! Image: Jo Wills

Council support also meant that the museum could work with the MDO to create a new exhibition, install a new hanging system, reline cases and rearrange the displays to showcase the research they had undertaken into the cases and the work of Meringa. An exhibition development workshop was held early in the year to set out the parameters. Lead by Travis Teske, the volunteers collaborated with Meringa Station staff and each other to pull the project together. One built timber easels to display the cases, and all hands were on deck for the installation and rearrangement.

The exhibition is open for 6 months. The museum is located near the Mulgrave Mill at 60 Gordon Street, Gordonvale

Congratulations Jo, the exhibition looks excellent and the cases well worth highlighting. Did you know the Meringa Research Station is on the Qld Heritage Register–was put on in my time and I have fond memories of visiting.